This article deals with the situation that Ukrainian urban dwellers faced during national-democratic revolution, e.g. the necessity of sustaining life in absence of actual authorities. A number of examples about citizens’ behavior and particular situations are brought to demonstrate social process. During 1917–1920 in some of East and South Ukrainian cities the legal regulations of order were alleviated and governmental institutions gradually lost ability to carry out their functions. Nevertherless, most of population continued their everyday businesses, at times in the conditions of absolute anarchy. In 1919–1920 local self-government, professional communities, communal organizations, various soldier’s committees took responsibility for some vital functions that previously had been fulfilled by other authoritative bodies. Firstly, the market trade was reopened. After a while the questions of earnings, food supply, transport services, security became solved through negotiations between the concerned parties. Law enforcement at the beginning of revolution existed only at the level of «kind requests». Among the possible survivalstrategies of the citizens were escaping and self-distancing from the events, increased mobility, adjusting to the all-the-time changing circumstances and search for new job opportunities.Keywords: cities of Ukraine, national-democrat revolution, independent life-sustaining, trade unions, self-organization, household security.